THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — Following the City of Thomasville's state of emergency declaration, city manager Alan Carson announced an administrative order, which goes into effect immediately and is active until April 24, 2020.
The order includes a voluntary shelter-in-place order for a period of 30 days.
“Residents are encouraged to adhere to a voluntary stay at home measure unless they are participating in outdoor exercise activities, traveling to or from work or visiting an essential business such as a grocery store, hospital, or other business as defined by the United States Department of Homeland Security,” said Carson.
Some businesses defined as ‘essential services include the following:
- Healthcare and public health agencies (hospitals, physician’s offices, etc.)
- Food and agricultural agencies (groceries, pharmacies, convenient stores, restaurants, food manufactures, etc.) o Energy and utility providers (electricity, water, petroleum, propane, etc.)
- Transportation and logistics (truck drivers, bus drivers, automotive repair and maintenance facilities, etc.)
- Public works and community-based governmental operations o Critical manufacturing (medical supplies, food and agriculture, communications, etc.) o Hazardous materials Financial services (banking, armored cash carriers, etc.)
- Chemical
- Defense industrial base
The administrative order, which goes into effect immediately, also contains the following:
- A moratorium for utility disconnections for non-payment will be in effect through April 24, 2020.
- All public gatherings of greater than ten people are prohibited on public property.
- All City of Thomasville facilities are closed to the general public, as previously announced.
- The City of Thomasville will temporarily suspend backdoor garbage pickup and move to curbside collections only, effective Monday, March 30th.
"We are in uncharted waters, for not just our local community, but our nation as well,” said Carson. “However, I’m certain that together as a community, we can navigate this storm. In order to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, we need everyone in our community to adhere to this administrative order.”
Carson said that in addition to the areas outlined in this administrative order, citizens can further help by following all recommended guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control.
“This includes washing your hands frequently and practicing social distancing,” Carson said. “We also need those that are sick to stay home. Each of these measures are critical to stopping the impacts of the coronavirus in Thomasville.”
The City of Thomasville has established a special page on Thomasville.org dedicated to the City’s COVID-19 response, or call 229-227-7001. Additional information will be shared on the City’s social media sites and CNSNext Channel 6.
